‘Notebook’: Nitin Kakkar and Zaheer Iqbal get heartbroken as their home gets demolished

As Zaheer Iqbal along with director Nitin Kakkar lived their film ‘Notebook’ through its shoot, the team was emotionally staggered to witness the demolition of the film’s set.

Marking the debut of Zaheer Iqbal and Pranutan Bahl, Nitin Kakkar’s directorial ‘Notebook’ is not only based but also shot in Kashmir. For the development of the film, the crew built a set amidst the lake of Kashmir, which in turn turned into their home. Post the wrap of the film, the set required to be destroyed and an emotional Zaheer wished to persuade the government to retain it as a tourist spot.

Zaheer Iqbal sharing the experience said, “The day the set got demolished, Nitin Sir and I went to the set to see it and we were so heartbroken because that was our home for one month. We have eaten there, worked there, slept there, we used to literally go to the rooms that were there for Kabir and Firdaus and take naps between shots because it really felt like our home. To see that the entire structure being demolished, we burst out. We also asked the producers, that can we speak to the government and ask them to let this set be here as a tourist spot because it’s not harming anyone, but they said it’s not possible. So yeah, it was heartbreaking to see, it was literally our home and was being broken in front of us. I think in my life again I want a set like this in the middle of the water as it was so peaceful and so calming to work in.”

Interestingly, it took 30 days and 80 crew members working round-the-clock to create it. The extraordinary set has been designed by the two young girls Urvi Ashar and Shipra Rawal who worked as art designers on the sets of ‘Notebook’.

Shot in the beautiful locales of Kashmir, ‘Notebook’ is directed by National Award winner Nitin Kakkar and it is presented by Salman Khan. The film marks the debut of Zaheer Iqbal and Pranutan.

‘Notebook’ takes the audience on a romantic journey back in time against the backdrop of Kashmir, raising the question – can you fall in love with someone you never met? ‘Notebook’ has been shot in the exquisite valleys of Kashmir bringing to life the interesting and exciting love story of Kabir and Firdaus. Based in the year 2007 to 2009 the movie set to hit the screens on March 29.